Automatic oil-check for lubricator drain-passages.



PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.-

, W. E. BRYANT. v

AUTOMATIC OIL GHEGK FOR LUBRIGATOR DRAIN PASSAGBS..

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11 1906.

2 SHEETW-SHBET 1.

PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

No. 354.797. I

' W1 13. BRYANT.

AUTOMATIC OIL GHBGK FORTLUBRIGAI'OR DRAIN PASSAGES.

APPLIUATIOIT FILED J UNE 11, 1906.

2 sums-sum z. v

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

WILLIAM E. BRYANT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MICHIGAN LUBRICATOR 00., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHI- GAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed June 11, 1906. Serial No. 321,101.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Oil-Checks for Lubricator Drain-Passages and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to means for preventing the escape of oil from the reservoir of a hydrostatic lubricator during the operation of draining the water therefrom, and consists in an arrangement of operative parts adapted for automatic actuation, as hereinaftermore fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to rovide simple and eflicient means whereby t e oil in the reservoir of the lubricator is prevented escaping during the operation of draining the water from the lubricator preparatory to re- It is a well known fact that in lubricators wherein the feeding of the oil is controlled by the introduction of water into the oil reservoir from a higher level than the oil discharge, upon the withdrawal of the water which has displaced the oil, a portion of the remaining oil in the reservoir is wasted through the drain cock because of a failure to close said cock at the moment the water is exhausted from the reservoir. I prevent any waste of oil by providing means for automatically closing the port through the drain plug upon the withdrawal of the water from the reservoir by the arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, and wherein Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the bottom portion of an oil reservoir and drain plug, showing the gravity valve therein for closing the port therethrough, and the vcounterpoise for said valve, the position of parts indicating the closing of the discharge port at the moment of the passa e of the water from the drain well and the lling of said well with oil. Fig. 2 is a similar section, showing the osition of parts when desiring to blow out t e reservoir. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the drain plug and drain cock therein. Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing the position of parts while the water is being drawn from the reservoir. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section as on line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing the normal position of parts while the lubricator is in operation.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the reservoir of a lubricator, the upper portion of which is broken away. The water from the condenser, not shown, is discharged downwardly through the pipe 2 into the bottom of the reservoir, as shown at 3, the oil 4 floating upon the water and as the water level rises, it is fed out the oil discharge pipes, not shown, to the points to be lubricated, in a manner well understood in the art. Screwed into the bottom of the reservoir is a drain plug 5 having a central well 6 therein communicating with the reservoir and provided with a reduced opening 7 leading from the lower end thereof. Screwed into the lower end of the drain plug is a drain cock 8 adapted to seat at 9 to close'the opening leading from the well 6 and having a central channel 10 therethrough with which the crossv channels 11 at the upper end of said cock communicate. By this arrangement, the ac cumulated water of condensation may be drawn from the reservoir by unseating the drain cock, the water passing downwardly through the channel 10. Within the drain plug 5 is awell 12 closed at the bottom and divided from the well 6 by the partition 13. Connecting the wells 6 and 12 at their upper ends is a transverse opening 14. Pivotally mounted at 15 within said opening is a lever 16 whose opposite ends extend into the wells 6 and 12 respectively. Pivoted at 17 to one end of said lever and depending within the well 6 is a gravity valve 18. Pivoted at 19 to the other end of the lever 16 and depending within the well 12 is a counterpoise 20. The

counterpoise is slightly heavier than the valve 18 so that normally said valve is held elevated as shown in Fig. 6, and is prevented sealtiing in the aperture 7 in the bottom of the we 6.

When both the wells 6 and 12 are filled with water, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the greater weight of the counterpoise will hold the valve 18 elevated, thereby permitting the water within the reservoir of the lubricator to be withdrawn by unseating the drain cock, as shown in Fig. 4. As the water passes from said reservoir and is followed by the oil, the well 6 will become filled therewith and the valve 18 which is suspended in said well will become immersed in the oil, which being of lesser specific gravity than water, will render said valve less buoyant than the counterpoise 20 which still remains immersed in water in the well 12, thereby overcoming the difference in weight between the valve and counterpoise and causing the valve to drop to its seat in the opening 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, preventing the oil passing through said opening and from the reservoir through the drain cock. It will be noted that the action of the valve 18 is automatic and that it will always fall to its seat at the instant the oil within the well 6 descends such distance around said valve as to cause it to overcome the weight of the counterpoise within the well of water. Upon the re-filling of the lubricator and the placing of it again in operation, the water of condensation which is discharged into the bottom of the reservoir, will replace the oil in the well 6, when the counterpoise will overcome the weight of the valve and raise it to the position shown in Fig. 6, thereby automatically restoring said parts to a position which will enable the water to be again drawn from the lubricator at pleasure.

By means of the above described arrangement, it will be seen that the water in the reservoir of the lubricator may be readily withdrawn without danger of wasting any of the oil owing to the fact that the valve 18 will antomatically seat as soon as the oil which follows the water into the well 6, immerses said valve sufliciently to enable it to overcome the weight of the counterpoise 20, obviating the necessity of carefully watching the draining of the lubricator in order to prevent the escape of oil.

It is sometimes desirable to blow out the oil cup or reservoir of the lubricator, to thoroughly clean it. To provide for unseating the valve 18 so that the reservoir may be cleaned by the passage of steam therethrough, the upper end of the drain plug 8 is provided with an upwardly projecting pin 21 which passes through the opening 7 in the bottom of the well 6 and engages the valve 18 so that when said drain plug is seated, said valve is held up by means of said pin. Vvhen it is desired to pass a jet of steam through the lubricator, the drain plug is unscrewed one turn, which is suflicient to carry it from its seat 9, but not sufficient to withdraw the pin 21 from engagement with the valve 18, whereby said valve is held from its seat and a passage way is provided through the opening 7 and the drain cock for blowing out the lulnieator.

The screw plugs 22, 23 and 24- which appear in the side of the drain plug 5 are merely employed to close the apertures which are formed through the wall of said. plug or lilting in horizontal alinement with the pivotal eon nections between the lever 16 and the valve and counterpoise and the fulcrum point of said lever, a'l'l'ording means for placing the pivotal pins and the fulcrum pin in place to roperly mount and connect said parts.

lVhile I have shown the gravity valve and counterpoise as a means of accomplishing the desired result, I do not eonline myself to said structure, as other analogous devices may be employed for attaining the same result without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully set forth my ii'ivei'rtion, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z- 1. The combination with the reservoir of a lubricator adapted to contain liquids of different specific gravity, of means automatically operated by the variation in the speci'iie gravity of said liquids to prevent the escape of the lighter liquid from the reservoir.

2. In a lubricator, the combination with the reservoir adapted to containliquids of different specific gravity, and having a discharge opening therefrom, of means actuated by the variation in the specific gravity of said. liquids to allow the passage of the heavier liquid through said discharge opening and prevent the passage of the lighter liquid. therethrough.

3. The combination with the reservoir of a lubricator adapted to contain. water and oil in superimposed relation and having a discharge opening leading therefrom, of means immersed in said liquids and actuated by the variation in the specific gravity thereof to allow of a low of water through said discharge opening but prevent the passage of oil therethrough.

4. In a lubricator, the combination of the reservoir adapted to contain oil and water, and having a drain opening leading therefrom, of means controlling said. drain opening actuated by contact of the oil therewith, to automatically close said opening and prevent the passage of the oil thercthrough.

5. In a lubricator, the combination with. the reservoir adapted to contain water and oil, having a discharge opening leading therefrom, of a gravity valve adapted. to close said opening, a counterpoise connected. with said valve to hold it from its seat when immersed in water, and means for withdrawing the water from around said valve. I

6. The combination with a lubricator reservoir adapted to contain oil and water, of a drain plug fitted into the bottom of the reservoir and communicating therewith, said plug ISO having separate Wells therein, one being a opening leading therefrom, said valve when 20 water well and containing a counterpoise, and the other being a water and oil well and containing a gravity valve, means connecting the valve and counterpoise to normally hold the valve from its seat, there being a discharge passage way leading from the valve well and a drain cock for drawing the water from the valve well to permit the valve to overcome the counterpoise and close said passage way.

7. The combination with the reservoir of a lubricator adapted to contain oil and water, of a fitting communicating therewith having independent wells, a gravity valve and a counterpoise connected therewith occupying said wells respectively, the Weight of the counterpoise being sufficient to hold the valve elevated when both wells are filled with water, the valve Well having a discharge seated closing said opening, a drain cock for closing the discharge opening and means for holding said valve from its seat upon a partial opening of the drain cock.

8. The combination with the reservoir of a lubricator adapted to contain oil and water in superimposed relation and havin a drain passage leading therefrom, a valve or closing said drain passage, and means actuated by a lowering of the water level in the reservoir to seat said valve in advance of the entranceof oil into said drain passage.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presenceof two witnesses:

WILLIAM E. BRYANT. f

if: "L 

